


Haunting Memories

by phandomlimb



Category: Glee, Glee RPF, Niff - Fandom, R5 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - Past, Flashbacks, M/M, Niff, Past Relationship(s), although they think they are divorced (?, famous jeff au, future niff, how d i tag this?, idk - Freeform, jeff sterling - Freeform, lots of them - Freeform, marriage AU, marriage niff, nick duval - Freeform, niff au, teacher nick au, tumblr plot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-20 21:14:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,225
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6025216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phandomlimb/pseuds/phandomlimb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick Duval and Jeff Sterling got married when they were eighteen without listened to people who said it was a bad idea. Shortly after they realized it actually was and that not everything is like on fairytales.<br/>Jeff moved to LA and makes it big on the music industry.<br/>Nick went to college at NY and became a teacher.<br/>Five years later both are back at Westerville and divorced… or aren’t they?</p>
<p>((From a plot on tumblr))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Memories of old songs

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: (Some clarifications before you start reading)  
> Yes, Black Pearl is my version of R5, the name has a reason that would be explained at some point (maybe) But I think you pretty much know why/where it is from, don't you? ;)  
> Membres:  
> Jeff - Riker Lynch  
> Jane – Rydel Lynch  
> Jackson – Ellinghton Ratliff  
> Jamie – Rocky Lynch  
> Josh – Ross Lynch  
> (Not really in the band) Jay – Ryland  
> The songs are also R5 songs: Ready set rock, Take you there, Heat is on, Always (just mentioned) What do I have to do?, Without you. And you can hear them here while you read the chapter (link) [[ or get the link on my tumblr: phandomlimb]]

[Playlist](http://8tracks.com/superherocrap/haunting-memories-x1)

**Chapter #1 :: Memories of old songs**

 

"TONIGHT: Black Pearl"

Reads the advert outside the bar, making Jeff smile before walking through the door behind his siblings.

"Hey, guys! Is awesome having you here." Says the woman at the counter as they walk in, her voice is so familiar to Jeff that he doesn't need to turn around to look at her to know who is. But he does, because honestly he had been waiting for this moment for almost five years.

There, in front of him is Mrs. Miller, or Abby, as she prefers them to call her. She and her husband are the owners of the bar where the band is playing tonight.

"You look so big now…" and the first years ago. "Jess you are so beautiful and you guys all handsome; not that you weren't before, but you know what I mean." She says with a wide smile when all of them make their way towards the counter.

"Thanks, Abby! You look so beautiful too, your dress is lovely." Jess, Jeff sister, says smiling.

"True. If you weren't like a mother to me, I will date you." says Jamie with a wink. Mrs. Miller pretends to be scandalized to hide her blush and everyone laughs… until they are interrupt for someone clearing their throat. "… Or married." He adds, seeing Mr. Miller behind them.

After they have a really long talk about how three months later after they played at the bar for the first time one of the companies they had send a demo called back saying they were interested on singing a contract with the band, Mr. Miller told the guys they should get ready for the show. And so they do.

On the back room, after a little sound check, Jess is filming around the place, "For the old times," she says. James and Josh are helping her to recreate one of theirs old "Black Pearl navigate the internet" videos.

"Is crazy," Jeff thinks, "be back at the Miller's, back on this room, with a contract, a few EP's and about to realize their fourth album. Totally crazy."

Jay, his youngest sibling, get into the room, interrupting his thoughts and announcing they should get out and play.

The place is smaller than the ones they play now at, but yet, Jeff feels more excited and nervous, and he thinks it's kind of dumb but also makes him happy. Because is the same way he felt years ago.

" _Fog light out of sight..._ " Jeff sings happily, waiting for the moment their fans recognize what song it is.

" _High tops lace it up converse chucks tight…_ " and they do. The crowd excitedly scream and sing alone with them through all the rest of the song.

" _Don't stop till you rock the spotlight up_  
 _The sky high can you take the limelight?_  
 _Strobe lights slow-mo vibe in overdrive_  
 _Sure the crowd tide scream-o ride on amplify_ "

"Now, that was awesome!" Josh says when the song finishes." That song is so special to use because is the one of the first ones we wrote, with lots of dreams in our heads and… and now we are here, and that's mostly because of you guys…"

"Especially Mr. and Mrs. Miller for let us play here that first time" adds Jackson. And the couple screams "Of course" and "No problem" from their places attending the clients, and everyone laughs.

"So emotional," teases Jamie. "Let's keep rocking before we all end up crying, okay?"

He receives a "Yeah!" from the crowd and so they continue with the concert.

"I got an idea!" says Jess when they have already played five more songs. Everyone looks at her, "We all should pick a song, an old one, and play it… then everyone follows."

"Sounds like fun!" agrees Jackson.

"It should be… with Josh forgetting the lyrics and all" Jamie jokes, and his brother throws the rest of his bottle of water at him.

"Calm down, you're going to get electrocuted." Jeff reprehends them, chuckling "Who picks first?"

"Me!" shout Jackson and Jamie at the same time, except the first one does the count down with his drumsticks, claiming his victory.

" _I'm the type of guy that likes to stay out…_ " he sings and mostly of the crowd, the ones that aren't too busy trying to recognize the song, gets really excited because he not usually sings, not as a main voice after all.

" _There's something special dancing all night…_ " Jackson continue, Jamie starts playing his guitar and Jeff can see the looks on the Miller's faces as they finally recognize the song (their favorite Black Pearl's song, they said on their earliest chat). He also joins playing and the same time Josh and Jess do.

" _'Cause the world's a space_  
 _Look at all the beauty you see_  
 _I'm right here where you want me_  
 _I'll take you to a place,_  
 _Best thing that has ever been seen_  
 _Come on baby, take a chance with me_  
 _Oh-ooo-oh_  
 _I can take you there_ "

The song ends and soon Jamie is playing the intro of the song he picked, making sure no one else has the chance to do it before him.

" _The heat is on… On the street…_ " he sings and Jeff can't help but shake his head chuckling, because well, how could he think they wouldn't guess the song too soon when the first words are the name? " _And the beats so loud, deep inside._ "

" _The pressure's high… just to stay alive._ " The oldest joins, singing at the same time Jamie and Jess do.

As same with the last song, soon everyone (including the crowd) is singing. And so they do with the songs selected by Jess and Josh.

Jess picks 'Always', surprising the band because they were pretty sure she was going to pick 'Never' but, "I knew you were expecting that…" she explains with a smirk.

Josh election is 'What do I have to do?' and Jeff has to admit it kind of hurt listen to it, and yes it doesn't really make sense because is not a sad song like other ones, but is the first song Jeff wrote for Him and just listen to it make the blonde have lots of memories; good and bad ones.

**. – Flashback – .**

Jeff is laying on his bed at Dalton, already done with his homework for the weekend thanks to David's help, and he notices then how quite is the Academy on Sundays when mostly of the students are at home and he has listened to all the songs on his ipod. "Is also boring" he adds to his thoughts.

"Maybe I could write something…" he thinks, searching for a cool beat o his 'for futures songs' list on his head. He finds one, taping his foot on the bed and his hand in his thigh, his humm's changing every now and then until he finds a combination that he likes.

Twenty minutes later he is on the music room the Academy has and all the students can use if they are members of the club; the only reason Jeff joined said club.

Sitting on the couch there, Jeff tries to recreate the beat on his head with one of the guitars. It takes him a while and even when he still not sure it is perfect, he decide to move on and start with the lyrics.

And so he thinks what he could write about:  
friends  
girls  
how he miss been at home

Which leads to:  
his parents  
siblings

He goes back at top of the list he just wrote on his notebook ant scratch out 'girls'. He isn't feeling in the mood to write a song about that gender. And instead he writes 'boys' next to it.

Jeff had come out as bisexual last year, but lately he has noticed that he likes boys a little bit more than girls. ("No, that I go to a school full of boys has nothing to be with it!" he constatly argue with Jamie)

It doesn't take long for him to find a specific guy to write about and before he knows, he has almost half of the song, only deciding to stop when the bell for dinner goes off, hopping to see 'his muse' there.

**. – End flashback – .**

" _What do I have to do to be the latest choice?... Oooh…_ " the song ends and is pretty clear that Jeff has a lot in his mind and he just played on autopilot because Jamie has to asks him a second time what song he picks.

"Uhm..." Jeff babbles, coming back to reality and then he is walking to the side of the stage, as in going to the back, receiving confusing looks from the rest of the band and the public.

"What happened?" asks Jay, obviously worried and confused.

"I need an acoustic guitar." Jeff says as an explanation, handing his bass to the youngest boy. Jay doesn't make more questions, although Jeff knows he wants to, and gives him the instrument.

Jeff doesn't usually play the guitar, he loves playing the bass and it is also Jamie and Josh instrument, but he knows that he need to do it for the song.

On the main stage, his siblings and Jackson are joking about the way Jeff just walked away, that's it. And when the oldest goes back to his place, stage left / audience right, everyone is waiting for what he is going to do.

Jeff adjusts the microphone for him to sing and also the one Bill, "the sound man", put for the guitar. The blond thanks him, clears his throat at the same time he tries some chords to make sure the sound is good.

" _You are on my mind, every night…_ " he starts singing. " _And in the morning when I wake._ "

Jeff would be laying if he says this is the last song written for Him, because even now, years later, he stills write about those moments with Him and honestly, Jeff doesn't know it he is going to stop doing it at some point.

_"I just can breathe_   
_without you without you_   
_I'm so lonely_   
_without you without you_   
_I just can't be"_

" _'Cuz today you are all I need…_ " he finishes the song and thinks that maybe, just maybe, the lyrics are true, and all he needs is Him.


	2. Chapter #2 ::  Memories of first meetings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> {{ “I had things to do, place to be, you know? I have to go.” He says, practically running out of the shop… Because He is in town. }}

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Welcome back! There is an R5 song mentioned on this chapter (again) it’s called Could have been mine aaaand yeah..  
> Enjoy your reading!

Also on [tumblr](phandomlimb.tumblr.com)!

\---

 

Is Saturday morning and Nick is sitting on the coffee shop on the town center, grading easies and drinking a cup of hot black coffee with almond milk. Thad, his best friend, is also there. Normally this is good, with both of them being English professors and making comments of theirs students’ works and all, but today Thad is being weird and, well, annoying; shifting on his sit, tapping the red market on the table… and Nick thinks that maybe he should had listened to his mother and stayed at home for once.

“What it is?” Nick asks, about to get insane with the other’s attitude.

“What?” Thad wonders back, as if he doesn’t know what his friend is talking about.

Chuckling, Nick shakes his head. “Just spill it, man. You’re making me crazy.”

“Is… just…” Thad rambles, looking intensively at his mochaccino to avoid Nick’s eyes. “You know how we were going to watch the game yesterday at your place??” he nervously asks.

Nick nods a bit confuse. When Thad canceled yesterday he sounded weird at the phone, not giving him a reason, and today he even paid Nick’s coffee as in making it up for the plan’s cancelation.

“Did you cancel because you went out with Sophie? Because that’s alright, don’t worry.”

And Thad knows that he could say yes, going out with Sophie could be a perfect excuse, Nick loves the girl and he wouldn’t be mad. But the black-haired guy has always been honest with Nick, they are best friends after all, and so he tells the true. “Not really. I went out but not with Sophie…”

“What? Wait… you are not cheating on her, right?” Nick wonders, “Because I swear that if you are I’m gonna ki-“

“NO! I’m not cheating. I will never.” His friend cuts him.

The brunet lets out a relieve breath before asking. “So… why did you say no to the game last night?”

“Ahmm…” and Thad is nervous once again. “”Because… well… blackpearlhadaconcertatMiller’sand-“ He burst all of the sudden and Nick stop him because he isn’t understanding anything.

Thad takes a deep breath and explains again, now making pauses between words. “I went to a concert with David and Wes at Miller’s… A Black Pearl concert.” Nick doesn’t say anything and so Thad adds, “Listen, I’m sorry I canceled but I wanted to see Jeff but…” Thad looks at his friend, his silence scarring him, “Nick? Don’t be mad, please.”

“No, no… I-I am not mad.” Nick gets out of his little chock.” But…” he clears his throat, “I had things to do, place to be, you know? I have to go.” He says, practically running out of the shop… Because He is in town.

Nick place the easies on the passenger seat as he gets in his car, deciding he would read them later. Or before Monday classes at least. Pug-ing his cellphone at the stereo of his car, Nick quickly finds the playlist he is looking for and clicks “PLAY”.

He would be laying if he says he hasn’t listen to Black Pearl’s songs in all this years, and he doesn’t have to say anything because mostly of the people avoid every conversation that includes Him, which Nick really appreciate.

_“After all those years of trying,  
you think I’d have a clue.”_

As he starts driving, Nick almost laughs at how that song could totally describe them.

_“I missed my tears_  
and you’re moving to someone else,  
not me.”

That Jeff had cheated wasn’t really something he thought about, but the possibility was there and even if there wasn’t someone back then, probably he is dating someone now.

_“Could have been,  
should have been mine”_

But He isn’t, Nick remembers to himself, as he keeps relating the lyrics to the song to them as he drives to his parents’ house, and yes, he feels a little stupid doing it because it’s not about them, it couldn’t be.

When he arrives to his destiny, Nick walks straight to his room, (ignoring his mom’s question about why he is there earlier) and throws himself into the bed, not even bothering on taking his shoes off. He just looks at the white ceiling before groaning and covering his eyes with his arm. It’s 10 a.m. but perhaps if he sleeps he is going to stop thinking about Him and so he can grade his student’s works.

And for the next almost four hours the only thing Nick is able to dream about are memories of their last month as a couple, for his bad luck, the worst ones.

**. – Flashback – .**

“Well, if that’s what you want so much then you should do it!” Nick screams. he has always know about his husbands dreams and they have never bother him, but now, when he talks about them, is like if he were blaming Nick for them not been possible and the brunet is getting kind of sick of that.

“Okay, I will. Doesn’t matter if you agree or not, Nicholas.” Jeff says bittery, and Nick knows that the use of his whole name should be a warning that things were getting bad.

“Whatever…” but he dismisses it, not even bothering on follow the guy when he walks out of the room.

**. – End Flashback – .**

Nick wakes up all of sudden, heavy breathing and a bit confuse about where he is. He looks around, realizing he is in his room from when he was in high school, which only confuse him more until he remembers that he is staying back at his parents’ house to suplie a teacher at Dalton for a few months until she has her baby.

For a moment Nick thinks that it probably wasn’t the best idea, go back to Westerville after all that happened, but then he concludes that he needs the job, it gives him experience and money. Also he get to see his parents after so long, that’s a good thing, right?

Nick goes out of his room and down to the kitchen, looking for some food since the only thing on his stomach is a half cup of coffee. He makes himself a sandwich, deciding he is hungry enough to not care about the taste of the wholemed bread his mom buys.

Sitting on the living room, Nick darns the fact that his parents aren’t fans of technology; they have a computer and internet at home, but only because their work obligates them to. And the only thing Nick can watch without moving from the coach is local tv. And the only thing on local tv is bad soap operas and people talking about the local band that is back in town: Blak Pearl.

Maybe is a bit hash from him when he groands and complains to the girl on the screen about if they are the only news, it’s not that Nick isn’t glad to heard they made it, that their dreams came true, but it kind of hurts to realize how much different things are from when they played at Miller’s from the first time.

**.– Flashback –.**

“And… Do you like them?” Thad asks when the concert ends. The band played a few covers and one original song. But the covers are from bands nick is fan of and the song wasn’t bad, so he answers with a nod.

“Yes, they are good.”

“Thanks, we try.” Says a voice behind him, Nick turns around to find a member from the band.

“Uh… you’re welcome.” He smiles awkwardly, not really sure how to take the fact that the guy just listened their conversation.

“Oh, Nick, this is Jeff.” Thad introduce them, and it makes Nick feel les weird to know his friend knows the blond. “Jeff, this is Nick… Actually, I thought you already knew each other.”

“We do.” Jeff answers at the same time Nick shakes his head.

Thad chuckles, Nick is confuse and when he looks at Jeff he is almost sure he sees him blush.

“Jeff goes to Dalton, too.” His friend explains him.

“Yeah, uhmm… we have physic together at second period.” The blond adds and Nick can’t help but feel bad.

“Sorry, it normally takes me three periods to wake up.” Nick excuse himself, only half joking.

“And a cup of coffee,” Thad adds with a laugh, “Seriously, not talk to him if he hasn’t had coffee first.”

**.– End Flashback –.**

Nick brings his attention back to the television as the same girl from before, now interviewing the members of Black Pearl, asks, “So, Jeff, is there someone special in your life?”

The camera focus on say blond and Nick can tell this question makes him nervous, (he shifts on his seat and his checks turn a low shade of pink; just like when Nick didn’t recognized him), and before he answers, Nick goes back to the soap opera on the other channel, not really wanting to know if there is someone on Jeff’s life or not.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBC… On the majority of the niff fics I’ve read Nick is the one on a crush on Jeff or both of them like each other. That’s why I decided to make Jeff the one who has (or had bc flashback) the crush on Nick.. Idk.. Did you like it? What do you think about it? Leave a comment and tell me, pwease?? Any kind of feedback is always welcome! ^-^
> 
> You can also request something if you want *wink wink*  
> Thanks for reading and see ya’ soon with the next chapter!!!!

**Author's Note:**

> TBC... Any kind of feedback is always welcome. You can comment your opinions on this or sugges whhat you would like to see on the story and I will may take them ;)  
> See you soon with the next chapter!


End file.
